


quiet nights, quiet mornings

by Saxifactumterritum



Category: S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, No Plot/Plotless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26284711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saxifactumterritum/pseuds/Saxifactumterritum
Summary: Bai Chi and Lisbon are asleep on the couch, when Zhao Zhen gets in.
Relationships: Bái Chí/Emperor Renzong of Song | Zhao Zhen
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	quiet nights, quiet mornings

Bai Chi and Lisbon are asleep on the couch, when Zhao Zhen gets in. It’s after three in the morning and Zhao Zhen hadn’t expected anyone to be up. The TV is on, quiet, flickering light over Bai Chi’s sleeping face. Zhao Zhen is arrested, as he often is, by how handsome Bai Chi looks. And how cute, when he’s asleep. Adorable, even. Lisbon’s on one of his arms, the other is resting on her back. She’s not asleep, actually, or she wakes up - she raises her head and wags her tail. Zhao Zhen thinks, if Bai Chi’s home there’s probably food in the kitchen waiting for him, maybe a note. He considers things, then kicks off his shoes and goes to squeeze himself onto the sofa too. There’s not much space, but Lisbon is half on top of Bai Chi, and it’s a wide sofa, and Zhao Zhen is pretty skinny - it works out.

* * *

Bai Chi wakes up, realises he fell asleep waiting for Zhao Zhen, and wonders how late it is. He manages to find his phone and sighs, worry nagging lightly at him, when he sees it’s nearly four am. Zhao Zhen sometimes gets home late, but this is late even for him. Luckily Lisbon is here, heavy and soft, comforting, so the worry isn’t too bad. There’s no message from Zhao Zhen. Bai Chi sighs again and strokes Lisbon. She’s on top of him and it’s not so comfy, so he gives her a little gentle push. She’s heavier than he thought, he must be tired. He gives more of a shove, and there’s a crash, and a yelp.

“Hey!”

Lisbon wakes and gets excited, barking once and bouncing off the sofa to wag her tail and nose at Zhao Zhen, who’s lying on the floor. Bai Chi sits up and looks at him, confused, trying to make sense of the chaos.

“What was that for?” Zhao Zhen asks, getting to his feet. In the dim light Bai Chi can see he’s still dressed up from his show, and has his arms crossed, his hair falling forward as he glares down at Bai Chi. He looks really nice. “You pushed me off!”

“I didn’t know you were on,” Bai Chi protests. “Why were you?”

“You looked snuggly,” Zhao Zhen says, laughing now, leaning down to touch Bai Chi’s cheek.

It’s not unexpected or entirely unwelcome, but it’s someone touching him out of the blue and Bai Chi reacts accordingly, recoiling. Zhao Zhen starts to withdraw his hand with a mute apology, but Bai Chi catches it, clearing his throat self-consciously, holding Zhao Zhen’s hand… well, why not, anyway? Bai Chi holds on more firmly and gets off the sofa, turning the TV off and walking resolutely up the stairs.

* * *

Zhao Zhen can’t help laughing as he’s tugged determinedly to his own bedroom, then he laughs even more when Bai Chi turns around and tows him to Bai Chi’s bedroom instead, and then he laughs and laughs and laughs as Bai Chi’s ears go red and Bai Chi spins on him, glowering adorably, still holding onto his hand. Zhao Zhen assures him he’s not being laughed at and kisses his red ears.

“H-hey!” Bai Chi protests, stepping out of kissing range. “Th-those are mine.”

It’s nonsensical, but Zhao Zhen bows an elaborate apology, and waits to see what Bai Chi has planned next. Nothing, it turns out; he just stands, red spreading from his ears across his cheeks, their hands still joined. He starts playing with the bottom of his shirt with his free hand, wrinkled from the sofa napping. Lisbon noses open the door and pads in, jumping onto the bed.

“You’re not allowed on the beds,” Zhao Zhen tells her, sternly, and then watches with interest as Bai Chi’s blush deepens. “Lisbon, down.”

She comes down, giving them deeply betrayed looks, and flops against Bai Chi’s legs, tail wagging slightly. Bai Chi’s hand drifts away from his shirt to scritch at her ears, and her tail wags a bit harder.

“She can stay,” Bai Chi says, firmly, not looking at Zhao Zhen.

“So this is where she gets to, when I can’t find her in the mornings,” Zhao Zhen says, amused, delighted - not that it’s good for her training, Bai Chi indulging her and letting her get up to all sorts, Zhao Zhen is sure.

“Go to sleep, Lisbon,” Bai Chi says, Lisbon goes and lies down at the bottom of the bed, on the floor. There’s a rug placed there, so probably she more often sleeps there.

“What about us?” Zhao Zhen asks, fighting laughter again. “Are we to sleep, as well? Or stand here blushing all night like-”

Bai Chi puts a hand over his mouth to stop him finishing.

“S-s-st...op teasing me,” Bai Chi says.

“What shall I do instead? You won’t let me kiss you,” Zhao Zhen says, just to fluster him, just for fun.

He watches, charting Bai Chi’s receding blush making a resurgence, taking in every little shift and change in his physicality, his face, his eyes when they dart to Zhao Zhen’s, meeting them for a tiny moment before fleeing away. Then again, coming back for a longer look, eyes to the right of Zhao Zhen’s face, but Zhao Zhen knows by now that Bai Chi is looking at him, even when his eyes are to the side. Taking in everything in his turn, watching Zhao Zhen. His eyes flick again, looking directly, then away completely to their joined hands. Zhao Zhen follows his glance, as Bai Chi’s thumb rubs lightly, then his hand is lifted to Bai Chi’s lips, a gentle kiss pressed to his knuckles.

“Go get ready for bed,” Bai Chi says, softly. “Then come back. You c-ca...mn, c-can sleep here.”

“I’d like that,” Zhao Zhen says.

He goes, as directed, and gets ready for bed, slipping back down to the kitchen to eat the small plate Bai Chi has left for him. He ate dinner earlier of course, but Bai Chi likes to cook something for him, even when he eats out. He isn’t often invited to sleep with Bai Chi in Bai Chi’s bedroom. Only a few times, so far. Not that they haven’t slept together. Quite often when a show runs late Zhao Zhen will get home and find Bai Chi, given up waiting for him but wanting to know when he’s back, asleep in Zhao Zhen’s bed. Or sometimes when Bai Chi gets back late from a case he’ll stumble into Zhao Zhen’s room and under the covers, mumbling an apology, offering assurance that Zhao Zhen always wants but never asks for - that he’s ok, that he hasn’t been hurt, that the case is not so dangerous.

* * *

Bai Chi starts to fall asleep again, before Zhao Zhen comes back from wherever he’s gone, maybe for food. Sometimes he’s hungry after a show, so Bai Chi likes to leave something out for him, in case. When he realises he’s too sleepy to stay awake much longer, he sends Lisbon down to look. He hopes that tonight she’ll stay on her mat and not get onto the bed like she sometimes does, Zhao Zhen told him not to let her onto the bed. She seems to do it when he is fed up, or upset, or a case is hard - her weight is comforting, and he can never bring himself to tell her ‘no’. She’s such a good dog, looking out for him. Tonight he’s just tired. She comes back and flops down onto her rug, and he wonders maybe she didn’t understand, but then here comes Zhao Zhen.

“I was just doing my teeth,” he whispers, closing the door.

“You have to leave it open, f-f-for Lisbon,” Bai Chi mumbles, sleep dragging at him.

Zhao Zhen opens it a crack and then comes over, feet in house-slippers that he steps out of at the edge of the bed. Bai Chi lifts the cover, and something good and warm and certain settles in his stomach when Zhao Zhen lies down, back to him, and he can curl up, tuck himself and the duvet around Zhao Zhen, his long hair soft and familiar.

“What time do you have to get up?” Zhao Zhen asks.

“Hmm. About an hour,” Bai Chi says.

“You work too hard.”

Bai Chi laughs, because that is an accusation that can be levelled against either of them. They fit together nicely, that way. And many others. This way, too - spooned together, Zhao Zhen taller but fitting comfortably in against his front, his arms fitting well around Zhao Zhen. It’s good, because when he has bad dreams and they’re sleeping like this, Zhao Zhen usually just shifts his weight, he does it automatically even while he’s asleep now, so he’s heavy against Bai Chi’s chest. Like he’s heavy enough to squeeze out all the bad dreams and fear. A solid, warm, breathing reminder of the real world. Of good, good things. Bai Chi is falling asleep, dreams reaching their clinging tendrils up through the cracks of wakefulness, wrapping around him. Sunshine, laughter, Zhao Zhen’s lips against his cheek, warm breath, Lisbon’s soft fur, Yutong lifting him up off the ground when he’s been knocked down.

Somehow they’re small, even though he never knew Yutong when he was this small. Someone’s pushed him, made fun of him, hit him, but this time, this time in the dream Yutong comes, Zhan Yao at his back, both of them standing between him and the bullies and then turning, lifting him up, up, up and he’s grown up again, and he steps away from them and into Zhao Zhen’s arms, into his embrace, and now there are lips against his lips, and they’re kissing, finally.

* * *

Zhao Zhen wakes up to Bai Chi’s annoying ring-tone. Or is it an alarm? He’s not sure, but it’s annoying and he’s only been asleep for a minute. Bai Chi isn’t moving to get the phone, either. Zhao Zhen finds it on the bedside cabinet and waves it until Bai Chi sits up and makes it shut up. Ah, blessed quiet. Just Bai Chi’s voice, stuttering. Then there’s cold. Ugh. Lisbon shifts off his feet (and he notices where she is only when she moves), getting off the bed. Bai Chi says something and she jumps up again, lying down against Zhao Zhen’s back.

“You’re teaching my dog bad habits,” Zhao Zhen mumbles, not ready to wake up yet.

Bai Chi comes back and runs a hand through Zhao Zhen’s hair, and then Zhao Zhen is 100% awake because Bai Chi just kissed him.

“Good morning,” Bai Chi says, blithely, innocently. “There’s a case, I probably w-w… on’t b-b-b…”

Zhao Zhen waits for more words. The stutter is sometimes worse in the morning. There are no more words, though, just another kiss. This time he’s ready and he sits up, so Bai Chi can’t end it quite so fast.

“Won’t be back until late,” Bai Chi finishes, smiling.

“I’ll cook for you.”

“Please don’t.”

“I’ll order delivery and pretend I cooked.”

“Mn. Better idea,” Bai Chi says, and kisses him for a third time, positively grinning now. “See you t-t-toni-ight.”

And with that he’s hurrying away, and Zhao Zhen is left to flop back on the bed with Lisbon. Who shouldn’t be on the bed in the first place. Well, Bai Chi just kissed him, so he’ll forgive the dog. For now.


End file.
